The Geodesics
The Geodesics are the most prominent super villain team in Millennium City. The Geodesics, taking their name from the mathematical term for the shortest route between two points on Earth, generally participate in high-tech crimes: breaking into labs to steal prototypes and blueprints; raiding military compounds for experimental weapons, or attacking government installations to spirit away alien technology. But by far they are most well known for their virulent and violent hatred for Heroes Unlimited. Since almost the inception of Heroes Unlimited, The Geodesics have been there. They have destroyed chapter houses, critically injured and hospitalized many superheroes, kidnapped and murdered civilian employees of the Heroes Unlimited organization, and have even hatched nefarious plans of terror, destruction, and ruination of the Heroes Unlimited board of directors. Member for member, The Geodesics are the most egregious of Heroes Unlimited's many enemies. Roster While many consider The Geodesic's individual team members to be just thugs for Ultraviolet, this line of thinking is both erroneous and dangerous. Each of the individual Geodesics are highly experienced successful criminals in their own right. Jennifer Teal doesn't just hand out power suits to anyone who comes knocking. Ultraviolet picks only the most elite criminals, securing their loyalty with stupendous paychecks and benefits and playing on their hate for the members of Heroes Unlimited. Each Geodesic on their own is a grave threat and wise heroes know they should never be taken for granted or treated lightly. Diamond Diamond is second in command of The Geodesics and has been with the group since the very first day. She is Jennifer Teal's best friend, confident, and advisor. Her identity, real name, and national origin have never been wholly identified, though her accent and other evidences suggest she may have been born and raised in Montreal. Indeed, because her power set, fighting style, and her facial structure are so similar to Heroes Unlimited founder Brahma experts have put forth the possibility that both Diamond and Brahma are the results of a Canadian super-soldier program and served together. Others have suggested that the two woman may be biologically related, even sisters. As neither Diamond or Brahma discuss their backgrounds, the truth of Diamonds origin may never be known. It is undeniable that the two women do have history. Whenever The Geodesics clash with Heroes Unlimited, Diamond will utterly ignore any other hero in the area and focus exclusively on Brahma. Spectacular battles between Diamond and Brahma have leveled entire city blocks. Diamond is super-humanly strong, able to dead-lift and carry up to 200 tons. She is astonishingly resistant to physical injury. She was once filmed by live television crews in Poland demolishing an entire military -platoon in Poland. Bombs, bullets, fire, anti-tank weapons; nothing seems able to stop her. Her tremendous strength allows to to perform a standing broad jump out to 800 feet in a single bound. She can stomp the ground, or strike it with her fist, in order to create a localized tremor that will crash cars onto their sides and throw observes a few feet into the air. She can draw a deep breath and expel air from her lungs with such force that she can cave in the side of a building. Similar to Brahma, Diamond carries a small kite shield made of vibranium. She uses this shield not for defense but6 as an additional means of attack, slamming foes with the frontispiece of her shield or deliver viscous gashes with the edge. Diamond's primary weapon is a high-tech mace designed for her by Ultraviolet. When swung in a wide arc the mace releases a concussive burst that can strike up to ten foes at once. When using the mace to strike a foe, Diamond can trigger a kinetic burst that can throw her target nearly three hundred feet with the force of a cannonball. She can utilize the mace to block, parry, and smash a foe's weapon to pieces. Her armor constantly generates a thin tachyon field around her body which nullifies attacks that affect her physical attributes, such as Thumbelina's physiological draining and transferring powers. Diamond is a highly skilled biochemist and medical specialist. She is able to, and often does for nefarious purposes, create drugs that can cause a variety off effects from mild euphoria to a complete psychotic break. She is the team's doctor. Dart In an ironic twist of fate, Dr. James Kipple--the fourth man to become the Geodesic known as Dart--was a computer geek whom had decided that his entire professional career should be put to uncovering the secret identity of the criminal mastermind known as Ultraviolet. He hoped that by revealing whom Ultraviolet was and providing them some kind of proof to link the two that he could make his career and get the fame and recognition he felt he deserved. During his normal eight hour shift at Jencorp as a computer scientist he was devoted to his work and was the model employee. But when his shift was completed he would delve into his 'life's work', violating company policy regarding using the company systems for personal reasons. He was caught several times, getting more and more disciplinary action until his manager, frustrated by Kipple's lack of obedience but not wanting to lose his brilliant mind, reported the situation directly to the company's founder and CEO, Jennifer Teal. Intrigued by the revelation that one of her own employees was attempting to uncover Ultraviolet's identity, Teal issued instructions that Kipple be allowed to continue his investigation on the basis that if he succeeded, the publicity generated by uncovering the identity of an Overlord would put Jencorp far above its competitors. Teal then monitored Kipple, reading his personnel file and from that learning all she could about the man. Impressed by his accomplishments as a computer scientist, she then began feeding him false leads and information that in time culminated in Kipple learning the IP address of "Ultraviolets" personal computer. This of course was a ruse, the link lead to a dummy computer set up by Teal herself. Teal watched patiently as the excited doctor hacked into the computer remotely and began snooping around. Before Kipple was able to realize he was looking through a dummy computer she responded to the invasion, sending him an instant message demanding to know who he was. Kipple, giddy with his success, immediately told her exactly who he was and what he intended on doing. Teal played to his vanity, puffing him up with flattery about his victory and steering the conversation until she finally mentioned that she needed a new Dart, and asked if Kipple would be interested. To Kipple, the very idea of being out on the street as a member of the most successful and feared super villain team in Paradigm City's history overrode his desire for fame in exposing Ultraviolet. As Dart, he reasoned, he would get not just the fame and reputation he deserved, but also the world trembling at his feet. He accepted the offer in less than two minutes. When he arrived home that night, he was stunned to find Orb sitting in his living room, waiting for him. She explained that Ultraviolet had sent her to collect him for their first meeting. Blinded by his own ego, Kipple never even imagined he might be walking into his own execution. Trembling with the idea of laying eyes on Ultraviolet herself, he grabbed a bottle of white wine to present her as a gift. Imagine his confusion when Orb drove him back to Jencorp rather than to some clandestine secret hiding place as he had expected. He was very confused when he was brought to Jennifer Teal's office. When Teal confronted him with the dummy computer and showed him the instant message exchange, he finally understood. Looking at Teal with flabbergasted wonder and awe, he presented her the bottle of wine. Though Kipple is the fourth man to wear the identity of Geodesic Dart, he has so far proven to be the most effective and efficient. He has modified the Dart suit it several key ways, to give it capabilities none of the previous Darts had. The suit generates the microscopic friction field that allows him to 'skate' along at speeds of up to 400 miles an hour, making him one of the fastest men on earth. The tachyon field also serves to protect him from harm, it can repel heavy arms fire and allows him to slam into solid objects at full speed; he can punch through tank armor and if he chooses to slam into a person at high speed, the attack can be fatal. The field also quadruples its striking surface, a single punch or kick Dart throws impacts with five times the amount of force generated which makes it seem as though he is hitting a foe at high speed multiple times. He can also focus the field from his palms into a pair of two foot long 'lightsabers' capable of slashing through almost any material. Like all Geodesic suits, the Dart suit contains a small voice activated personal teleporter that will whisk him back to Jencorp in the blink of an eye when activated. Dart is the only member of the Geodesics whose identity is publicly known, he announces his real name often so that people know who really kicked their asses and garners him the infamy he so richly desires. He is also the Dart that came up with the idea of appearing on the field of battle playing the theme song from 'Knight Rider', so his enemies know he's coming. His team mates find him a little weird, but they all respect him tremendously. Orb Jennifer Torrence is the third young woman to adopt the identity of Geodesic Orb. As a child, Torrence was physically abused at the hands of both of her parents, a pair of monsters that loved drink and should never have been allowed to bring a child into the world. Her only refuge from the violence and pain was the hate she came to feel for the world and the tender, loving attention of her uncle Mark, whom was secretly The Syndicate super-thief Wolfspider. Uncle Mark did his best to make his niece feel loved, including teaching her several thief skills: picking locks, cracking safes, and studying security systems to learn how to defeat them. By the time Jen was 14 she left home for good to live with Uncle Mark, and by the time she graduated high school she was quite a successful cat burglar in her own right. Her favorite targets were the rich, because they had the best loot. That's when she started eyeballing the sprawling estate of one of the most wealthy women in Paradigm City, Jennifer Teal. But before she could carry out her plan, she was told by Uncle Mark that he had been conscripted back into the Navy to serve a tour of duty. Not wanting to lose her uncle's love and company and hoping to keep him safe, Jennifer enlisted as well. She was so determined to succeed that she was one of only a handful of woman in the unit to take the SEAL training and survive it. But only days after being officially recognized as a Navy SEAL, she was cornered by her commanding officer. When his attempts at wooing and seduction were rebuffed he attempted to have sex with Jennifer by force. She beat him to death, and was court-martialed. As the terrified young woman sat in the military brig awaiting trial, she was stunned when the entire Syndicate showed up and sprung her from the brig. Only then did she learn of Uncle Mark's secret identity. Mark had hoped to bring Jen into the Syndicate as Strafe, but Freddy Fagan, the Fox of Crime, had reservations. Jennifer's hate of the world and violent tendencies were simply too diametrically opposed to the Syndicate's outlook and goals. But, Fox had a better idea. There was a villain out there that owed him a favor and he called it in. He introduced Jen to Jennifer Teal, and the deal was struck. As Orb, Jennifer Torrence has proven to be both loyal and effective. Her loyalty was initially a means to respect uncle Mark, but over her time with the team her loyalty has shifted to Ultraviolet because of the respect and kindness Teal shows her team. Orb is both a skilled thief and a Navy SEAL, and serves as the team's infiltration expert. She is skilled with all manner of firearms and utilizes SEAL hand-to-hand combat style, she can (and has) beat someone to death, break bones, or strike at sensitive points on the human body that can result in critical injury or death. Unlike the other two Orbs before her, this Orb is a killer. The suit she wears absorbs and stores solar energy, which she then can emit from her hands in the form of her namesake, orbs of highly destructive photons. Orb's photon spheres can be fired singly, or modified to hit an area and either explode with the force of a stick of dynamite or expand in a wave that damages groups. She can fire the orbs in a volley of five, intermingling the standard orbs with the explosive ones. She can also release energy from the suit all at once, resulting in a sudden searing bright flash of light that will temporarily blind anyone whom happens to be looking at her. The suit is reinforced, which allows her to withstand medium-grade firepower. The suit also absorbs energy, making her both very difficult to injure with such attacks. Worse, she can utilize this incoming energy to 'refuel' her suit and produce even stronger orbs. Because of her familial connection with Wolfspider, Orb can sometimes call on the Syndicate for aid or information. Sphere Stephanie Long built herself a widely known reputation as a physicist through ten long years of hard work and teaching. Her biggest setbacks were her male collegues, many of whom couldn't believe that there was genius under all of that earth shaking beauty. But there was, and in the annuls of Theoretical Physics Stephanie Long was a name to be reckoned with. So much so that she attracted the attention of Jennifer Teal, whom offered her a lucrative position in the managment of Jencorp. A company devoted to producing computers wasn't Stephanie's field, but the pay and the benefits were just impossible to resist. She stayed in the position for five years, never aware that she was under constant scrutiny by the Geodesics. Every meeting was recorded. Every night on the town was monitored. When it was discovered that what Stephanie wanted, deep down, was revenge against all of those men whom had mocked her, ridiculed her, and stolen her scientific ideas and theories Teal knew it was time to approach. The Geodesics revealed themselves and offered her one of the vaulted Geodesic suits, and Sphere came into being. Geodesic Sphere's powers and abilities all derive from the suit she wears. The circuitry woven throughout the suit allows her to manipulate kinetic energy. With this energy she is able to move objects weighing up to a ton, remove the kinetic energy of objects or people in motions, turn kinetic energy back on itself, or erects domes, walls, and barriers of force. When used as an attack, the kinetic energy she uses manifests as a shimmering globe of energy, thus her name. Her kinetic blasts are strong enough to send enemies flying with multiplied momentum, or she can transform the energy into a blast at her feet which will throw everyone within five feet of her outward to a distance of forty to fifty feet. In battle she particularly focuses on speedster heroes, robbing them of momentum and then using their own energy against them. Sphere is a strikingly beautiful woman in her early thirties, and her appearance can sometimes distract the more libidinous heroes out there. She is a nationally respected theortical physicist and keeps her identity as Sphere a carefully guarded secret. Atomic Maximillian Teal grew up in the higher strata of socialites in London, and it wasn't the life he wanted. With his perfect physique and striking good looks he tried modelling for a bit, but found that facetious and boring. Then, eager for excitement and challenges, he became part of the infamous King's Row Under, a street fighting club. He won every fight he participated in and netted himself a heft six digit annual income, until it was revealed that he had a huge advantage because of his mutant powers. He was summarily ejected from the fight scene, which included boxing and MMA. Bored, he decided he would become a crime fighter. Donning a costume and calling himself Captain Leeds, he did become quite a popular hero throughout London. But his heart was never really into crime fighting. He certainly liked the attention he got--especially the accolades from the ladies--but there wasn't any thrill or challenge in taking on purse snatchers and muggers. He wanted real enemies, super-powered ones, and real challenges. Seeking greater challenges out he travelled to Paradigm City and joined Heroes Unlimited: Galaxy View Terrace branch. Three weeks to the date of his joining, he and his team mates tackled The Geodesuics as the criminal team was attempting to hijack a cargo truk filled with Olympian medical techology that had been loaned for study to Millennium City. During the fight, Max was seperated from the group and squared off against Ultraviolet herself. She begged him, pleased with him to wait as he drew his fist back. As he watched, wary, she took off her helmet. Max was stunned, and brother and sister were reunited with hugs and tears. Max returned to the fight and betrayed his allies, helping the Geodesics to defeat the heroes and escape with the technology. Since that very night he has been Geodesic Atomic, dedicated to his sister and her ideals, and there is no going back now. Atomic is the only member of The Geodesics who'se powers are innate. He doesn't rely on a costume for his abilities as the others do. He is a fairly straightforward brick, able to lift ten tons and repel up to assault rifle firepower. Enhanced ammunition though, like armor piercing rounds, are as fatal to him as they would be to anyone. His real talent lies in his fighting prowess. He is an experienced fighter and utilizes a mixture of boxing strikes, kickboxing, and wrestling moves and holds. Team Tactics The Geodesics are a highly efficient team that makes it a point to study their foes for weeks, sometimes months, before they actually strike. They pracrice every step of their crime down to the minute until it's flawless, and prepare for multiple contingencies. They have the means, skill, and teamwork abilities to take down even the most durable foes like Brahma or Girl Wonder. In general, they tend to focus their opening volleys on known mentalists first, then will switch to magic users. Once those two types of foes are subdued, the team will focus on other heroes. They particularly like scattering their foes and trying to single them out, a well-placed explosion or other widespread attack will be used to cause heroes to scatter, then the entire team will concentrate their firepower on one hero. They repeat their tactics throughout the fight, all the while Ultraviolet stays invisible and strikes from unexpected directions or outflank the enemy and hit them with heavy, high-damage crossfires. In Conclusion The Geodesics are a super villain team well known in both normal and heroic communities. They are dangerous and intelligent, a team that has trained together so well they know each others' strengths and weaknesses, and how to step in to fill the gaps. They are wanted on charges of terrorism, grand larceny, and murder. Rearguard has labelled them the third greatest threat to the public in Millennium City. Note: The design for Diamond is ₢ Lulu and used with permission.